Lebanese leader warns against using Druze community to divide Syria

By Yakoota Al Ahmad and Ikram Kouachi

ISTANBUL (AA) – Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt warned Sunday of a "Zionist ideological infiltration" to use the Druze to divide Syria.

"Some Druze are being used as a wedge to divide Syria under the pretext of a minority alliance," Jumblatt, the former leader of Lebanon’s Progressive Socialist Party, said in a speech marking the anniversary of the assassination of his father, Kamal Jumblatt, by the former Syrian regime on March 16, 1977.

Addressing the Druze community, Jumblatt urged them to "preserve their Arab identity and Islamic heritage."

Commenting on a recent visit by Druze figures to Israel, Jumblatt stressed that such visits, whether religious or otherwise, "do not change the reality of occupation."

Jumblatt also reaffirmed the need to “rebuild Lebanese-Syrian relations on new foundations, separate from past experiences,” and to demarcate land and maritime borders between the two countries.

He underscored his commitment to Palestinian rights, particularly the two-state solution, the right to return, and adherence to international resolutions, while also calling for upholding a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

The Lebanese politician also stressed the importance of “liberating and reconstructing the south and other areas affected by Israeli aggression through a reliable Arab and international framework.”

On Friday, a delegation of around 100 Syrian Druze members arrived in Israeli-occupied Golan Heights for a two-day visit, marking the first such trip in more than five decades, according to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

The visit came amid heightened tensions following Israeli claims that its military actions in Syria are aimed at “protecting” the Druze community.

The Israeli claims have sparked protests from the Syrian Druze community, who have publicly rejected any Israeli interference in Syria’s internal affairs.

Since the overthrow of the Bashar Assad regime in December, Israel has escalated its military offensives in Syria.

The new Syrian administration, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, has consistently called for an end to Israeli airstrikes and a complete withdrawal of its forces from Syrian land.

Israel has occupied the majority of the Golan Heights since 1967. In the wake of Syria’s political transition, it has expanded its territorial control, including into a demilitarized zone, and has conducted hundreds of airstrikes targeting Syrian military assets.